The Project

Mark Street Gardens is a small, tranquil green space close to the busy Great Eastern Street in London’s Shoreditch area. Created as recently as the 1980s following clearance of the Langbourne Buildings, the gardens are one of Hackney’s youngest parks, although it has a historic setting alongside the former St. Michael’s Church. Recent improvement works coincide with the first Green Flag Award application for the gardens.

A circular arrangement of new seating set around an existing memorial stone is a central feature to the new works. Our designers were set the challenge of devising a 3-part seating arrangement that would fit between existing lines of granite setts and alongside retained planting.

Solution

Furnitubes' designers were set the challenge of devising a 3-part seating arrangement that would fit between existing lines of granite setts and alongside retained planting.

The geometrical outcome was two dual-segment benches and a single 3-segment assembly, all based around a common module size. The benches combine galvanised steel plate ends and subframe, which sit well within this urban environment, and oiled iroko hardwood slats. Armrests have been carefully positioned to allow maximum usage of the seating area but also to deter rough sleeping which has been an issue at the gardens in the past.

The overall arrangement and detail of the seating creates a pleasing effect in the setting and will help LBC Hackney with its upcoming Green Flag application for Mark Street Gardens.